Paul Lacombe

Paul Lacombe: (b Carcassonne, 11 July 1837; d Carcassonne, 5 June 1927). French composer. Although he travelled widely in Europe, he resided in his native town until his death.

His only formal education was acquired from a local organist and former Paris Conservatoire pupil, François Teysserre, but he attentively studied the works of established masters. He was an admirer of Bizet, with whom he corresponded from 1866, and a personal friend of Saint-Saëns. In 1901 he was elected a corresponding member of the Institut and the following year he was made a Chevalier of the Légion d’Honneur.

Lacombe belonged to a generation of French composers who, inspired by the achievements of Mendelssohn and Schumann, wished to see symphonic and chamber music placed on a sound footing in France after the Franco-Prussian war. Many of his works were first performed by the Société Nationale de Musique, an organization he helped found in 1871 for the promotion of new French music. Although his compositions are technically assured, most of them lack the originality and spontaneity necessary to escape the powerful influence of contemporary German composers. Theatrical works are notably absent from his more than 150 opus numbers. He continued to compose until after his 80th birthday, and his output consists mainly of small piano pieces, chamber music, orchestral works and approximately 120 songs. His first violin sonata was performed by Sarasate in 1869 and his Third Symphony was awarded the prize of the Société des Compositeurs de Musique in 1886. Numerous works were left in manuscript.